


A Difference Engine

by LadyThrimbletrimmer



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Character Study, Conversations, Established Relationship, F/F, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-22 03:00:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17654783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyThrimbletrimmer/pseuds/LadyThrimbletrimmer
Summary: EDI's relationship with Samantha Traynor sparks a small journey of learning about what buttons not to press.Consider this a sequel to Electric Lullabies





	A Difference Engine

“EDI, something has come up.”

 

Enhanced Defence Intelligence 1.43.85 felt her sensors identify the sounds as speech, which a subroutine then broke down into a network of defined terms to be processed by a suite of social dynamic algorithms before presented to her core processing structure as meaningful data. 

 

She wondered, not for the first time, if and how she could recreate the result in a way that could be understood by organics. Perhaps the best depiction would be as a sculpture not unlike a navigation route through several star systems, with each word a star orbited by several planets representing potential meanings. There would be a thread joining the systems together in the order the words were spoken, textured and colored to convey the speaker’s tone. But how to convey the gigabytes of environmental context analysis and social dynamic precedents?

 

EDI considered this during the four hundred and ninety-two milliseconds she waited to deliver her reply. She knew that delaying her responses to replicate the pace of organic dialogue would foster enough camaraderie to more than make up for the lost time, but her ongoing experiment to find the “sweet spot” in balancing promptness and politeness was progressing more slowly than she had hoped.

 

“How can I help you, Dr. T’Soni?”

 

“I was just checking supply listings for the next stop at the Citadel, and I noticed a few discrepancies. We may have a saboteur attempting to smuggle something onto the Normandy- payment for these items traces back to Cerberus affiliates. Only, something is off about it. Most of the trail was erased, but I found something about… loungewear?”

 

Ah.

 

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will notify the Citadel immediately.”

 

“Not yet, EDI.” The AI watched Liara click through several digital displays, her eyes darting back and forth.  “Looking closer, it seems that the Cerberus organizations involved in this supposedly had their assets frozen by the Alliance, but it seems they have been transferred to a private… who is ‘Babbage Clementine’?”

 

“Presumably an alias for this saboteur. I can investigate further for you, if you like.”

 

“EDI, you’re not telling me something.”

 

One of EDI’s roles on the Normandy was observing the crew, monitoring their behavior. It was likely conceived as a way for Cerberus to gather leverage over the crew members, justified as a tool to identify potential spies, and repurposed by EDI to help her understand the behavior of organic beings. At this moment, the behavior she wished she could emulate was the sigh of weary resignation.  

 

“Yes. The truth is, when the Alliance was freezing Cerberus’ assets, many of its investors filed claims allowing them to recuperate some of the loss. In the shuffle, I claimed ownership of several shell corporations and false identities used by Cerberus. Most of the money I funneled back to the Alliance, but according to certain legal precedents I am entitled to compensation for my work under the Illusive Man.”

 

“You stole from Cerberus?” said Liara, her tone suggesting bemusement more than inquiry.

 

“Stealing is illegal, Dr. T’Soni. I am prepared to cite 117 legal cases from human, turian, and asari courts to prove the-”

 

“I believe you,” said Liara, waving a hand as if to shield herself from the rebuttal. “But what about this package?”

 

“As the receipt said. Loungewear.”

 

“Why do you need loungewear from…” Liara glanced at the screen. “‘Neptunian Intimates’?” The blue of her face shifted from #85c1e9 to #2471a3 as blood rushed under her skin.

 

“The style most closely resembled that worn in one of Specialist Traynor’s preferred vids. I had planned to surprise her.”

 

“Yes, fine, understood,” said Liara, slightly muffled by her hands. “Just, please let me know the next time there is somewhere I shouldn’t be looking.”

 

“Of course.” EDI deactivated the hologram in Liara’s quarters. She saw through the camera as Liara took a deep breath and forced herself into a more relaxed posture. The asari turned and began to resume work at her computer terminal. Then Liara paused. Slowly she turned back, eyes narrowed, staring first at the hologram projector and then directly into the camera.

 

“EDI?”

 

EDI reactivated the projector. “Yes, Dr. T’Soni?”

 

“You don’t… Are you making sure to respect Miss Traynor’s privacy?”

 

“Of course. Her medical files are on Dr. Chakwas’ private server, she has a standard issue disconnected datapad for journaling, and I have even made her aware of which areas of the ship have the least comprehensive security feeds in case she wants time to herself.” It had been a comprehensive diagnostic, but all of EDI’s research verified the value of trust in a relationship.

 

“I see. But you are monitoring her extranet usage?”

 

EDI took a moment to process this question.

 

“It’s standard protocol, doctor. We can’t risk information being leaked or malicious software being downloaded. Besides, I need to build a comprehensive analysis of her preferences to maximize my efficacy in our relationship.”

 

“Stalking her is not healthy, EDI.”

 

“I see.” EDI delayed her next inquiry for several seconds to imply deliberation. “Then, may I ask how do you do it?”

 

“How do I what?”

 

“How do you reconcile respecting the commander’s privacy with your work as the Shadow Broker?”

 

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” Liara quickly turned away and busied herself rearranging windows on her desktop.

 

“Commander Shepard is a public figure, a prominent member of the Alliance military, and a Spectre,” said EDI. “This means that her actions are widely noted and documented. In your capacity as such a prominent information broker, you have uniquely complete access to information about her. Yet, as you implied, being her romantic partner means you must also refrain from excessive monitoring. Therefore you are the individual most qualified to help me understand how to achieve this compromise.”

 

Liara scowled at the camera. “My work and relationship are... none of your business.” She quickly turned back to her array of monitors and hunched over it, glaring at a screen of fuel price fluctuations in Sigard’s Cradle. EDI waited several more seconds before deactivating the hologram again.

* * *

 

“Tali, I request your assistance.”

 

A helmet emerged into the camera’s view from behind a mass of engine parts. “What is it?”

 

“A personal matter, but one I hope to resolve quickly, which is why I have waited until your scheduled rest period to mention it.” EDI watched Tali check her omni-tool.

 

“Is it that late already? I should put all this back together. How can I help?”

 

“I may have hurt Dr. T’Soni’s feelings, and I wish to make amends.”

 

Tali gently shoved a component into place until it clicked. “That is not enough information for me to help. What were you two doing?”

 

“She was trying to offer advice on my relationship with Specialist Traynor, specifically in the matter of respecting her privacy. I inquired about her own methods for doing so, especially in her role as an information broker, and she seemed to take offense at my request.”

“I see.” Tali wiped down a metal tube with a cloth and slotted into place before answering. “To tell the truth, privacy is not a luxury afforded to the quarians, so my thoughts on it may not be helpful. But the asari value their secrets more than most cultures. I wonder if Liara feels that her job means she is betraying her people.”

 

“But there many asari in that profession. Surely Liara should not count herself as an exception.”

 

“She is the daughter of a matriarch, she may have been told that she needed to set an example.”

 

“Was that your experience, as daughter of a captain?”

 

Tali paused in the middle of tightening a bolt. “Why did you come to me about this, EDI? Liara and I are not especially close.”

 

“You were the clear choice. You have known Liara for as long as any other member of the crew, and any residual distrust you may feel towards me as an AI means that you are less likely to withhold information to spare my feelings.”

 

“Is that so.” Tali turned away from EDI’s hologram, back to her work. “I need to get this done, EDI, we can talk another time.”

 

“Very well.” EDI absently watched the quarian finish reassembling the engine components. This development troubled her- one instance of irritating someone into dismissing her could be an anomaly, but two indicated a trend.

* * *

  
  


“Garrus, do you have a moment?”

 

“Sure, EDI, what’s on your mind?” 

 

“I need advice on interpersonal relations. My understanding of proper interactions with crew members has proven insufficient.”

 

“And you came to me for advice? I’m flattered, but this is really not my area of expertise.”

 

“Yes, but you and I have worked together for long enough to build a rapport, and Dr. Chakwas is unavailable.”

* * *

 

“Dr. Chakwas, may I speak with you?”

The silver-haired human turned from the datapad she had been examining to face EDI’s hologram. “Is it urgent?”

 

“Technically not, but this matter could have a cumulative effect on crew efficacy, and I would like to resolve it as soon as possible.”

 

The doctor frowned at EDI’s hologram, then returned to her desk. “All right, just give me a minute to finish this diagnosis.”

 

“Understood.”

 

A moment passed.

 

“EDI, I can feel you staring at me.”

 

“My apologies, Doctor. I can rotate the security camera away if that will make you more comfortable.”

 

“Never mind. Just tell me what’s wrong.”

 

“All my recent non-essential conversations with crew members have resulted in them demonstrating frustration and disinterest in talking to me. I wish to correct the error in my behavior before it permanently damages my relationship with any of them.”

 

“So you’re looking for advice on talking with people?”

 

“That is correct.” EDI considered leaving it at that, but a medical diagnosis requires complete information. “It seems to be triggered when I explain my rationale for making specific personal decisions.”   
  


“Can you give me an example?”

 

The flow of data that was EDI’s mind felt substantially smoother at this question- the doctor was taking her seriously. “Certainly. I assessed you as an optimal candidate to ask about this matter because as a medical professional you have had training, both on diagnosing physiological conditions that may affect a sapient mind and on explaining your diagnosis to others. You must, as part of your profession, balance comprehensive explanations with utilitarian responses. Without a dedicated psychologist on board, you are the most qualified to assist me.”

 

“Hmm,” said Dr. Chakwas. Diagnostic systems in EDI’s extrapersonal subroutines went into overdrive, anticipating a fresh rejection. “First, EDI, I don’t particularly like being reminded that my work means being the bearer of bad news.”

 

“My apologies, doctor. I only meant-”

 

“It’s all right. I believe I see the problem.” The doctor set down her datapad and brought her desktop computer out of sleep mode.  “Now, understand that this is not me refusing to help you, but I am going to give you a referral.” As she spoke, Dr. Chakwas opened a comm link. EDI watched the speaker light up on the other end of the line, and wondered if the doctor had clicked that contact by mistake.

 

“Commander?” said Dr. Chakwas. Not a mistake, then.

 

“What is it, doc?” Through another camera, EDI watched Shepard look up from the geth dreadnought model she was assembling. 

 

Analytical programs buzzed like wasps in her CPU. Had her behavior towards crew members been enough to warrant reprimand from the commanding officer? She had never bothered to cross-reference her own interaction protocols with official Alliance etiquette. If this was serious enough to involve the Commander then it could be an offense worthy of court-martial. There was no precedent for discharging an AI from duty, would they eject her core from the  _ Normandy _ ? That could create a host of problems for the crew, as she was deeply interwoven into the basest functions of the ship.

 

_ And I would not get to see Samantha anymore. _

 

“I’m sending EDI up. She needs help learning how to socialize.” Chakwas turned back to EDI’s hologram. “Go talk to the commander. She’ll help you better than I can.”

 

“Understood.” Dutifully, EDI switched off her hologram projector in the medbay and activated the one in the captain’s quarters. 

 

Commander Shepard insisted on the whole story. She listened patiently as EDI began with the lingerie and concluded in the medbay.

 

“Dr. Chakwas said that she was referring me to you,” said EDI, “but if she was in fact reporting me for inappropriate behavior then I will accept the resulting punishment.”

 

“That’s not necessary, EDI,” said Shepard, the hint of a chuckle in her voice. “You’re just in the middle of figuring out some important things about organics.”

 

“With all due respect, Commander,” said EDI, carefully modulating the frustration in her tone, “I do not share your amusement. If I do not identify and correct the flaw in my vocal patterns, it could damage my relations with other crew members.” Carefully omitted from that sentence were two words that would have preceded ‘other crew members,’ specifically ‘Samantha and.’

 

“Okay, EDI, let’s figure this out. You say that you get in trouble for explaining yourself, right? How exactly do you explain your decisions?”

 

EDI considered this. The grammatically correct sentences that meaningfully mapped the labyrinths of her mind eluded her for some time. 

 

“I make a matrix of... no, it would be more useful to say that... what I mean is... no...” This was using more memory than she typically spent on interfacing with anything other than other software. “I create a series of lists by searching for data and organizing it by relevance, then present several of those reasons along with my conclusion. I assume that the process of translating the data into speech is not relevant.”

 

“That’s fine, EDI.” Shepard shrugged slightly as she spoke. “The problem isn’t how you talk. The data you use to make assessments might not be wrong, but people don’t like being reminded of things they dislike about themselves. 

“Take Tali, for instance. When we met, she was getting shot at during the loneliest part of her life. So when we offered her a place to belong, she took it and held on as tight as she could. Now she’s terrified of making herself unwelcome, so she works at full blast in the engine room and hyperventilates if we tell her to relax. Her reservations about having you on the ship is a cause of friction within the family, and pointing them out is poking at a splinter.” 

 

EDI listened, her algorithms reeling. Shepard began to take a sip of water, realized that there was paint in the cup, and set it down.

 

“Then there’s Garrus,” continued the commander. “You know why people with bronze medals are happier than those with silver ones? It’s because the bronze means you didn’t lose, but the silver means you didn’t win. Garrus hates losing, and puts himself down hoping that other people will build him back up. Agreeing throws off his rhythm.”

 

“If I may ask, what about Liara?”

 

Shepard stood up and turned away from the hologram before answering. “You never saw the way Liara’s face lit up when she talked about the Protheans, back before we knew about the Reapers. She loves knowledge, getting it and sharing it. But weaponizing it? That hurts her. And the brave face she puts on to do it is her mom’s face. If you think of the difference between a human and a husk, that’s the difference between the life Liara wants and the one she has.” Shepard sighed. “And to turn this on me, I regret bringing her, bringing all of them, into all this.”

 

“You have not expressed these insights to them, Commander.”

 

“Yeah, and that’s the trick.” Shepard crossed her arms and shifted her weight slightly to one side. “Part of this job is knowing the people under your command- what they can do, what drives them, even getting an idea of where they break. But I can’t let them know that I know, because that would mean I had simply been manipulating them instead of leading. And that’s the problem you’ve been having. Telling someone that they have the optimal life experience to solve a problem doesn’t respect their personhood.” Shepard sat back down at her desk. “Sorry for dumping this on you, EDI, I’ve had this on my chest for a while.”

 

“Your comprehensive analysis is appreciated, Commander.” EDI thought for a while. “How do I apologize to them?”

 

“Simple tactic,” said Shepard. “State your regret, accept responsibility, pledge not to do it again, and be sincere.” She smiled at the hologram. “And in your case, keep it casual.”

 

“Thank you, Shepard.”

 

“Oh, EDI, before you go- you know that nothing I said leaves this room, right?”

 

“Of course, Commander.” EDI began to explain that disseminating that information would undercut the commander’s authority and potentially jeopardize the mission. Yet as her learning algorithms wove their discussion into her subroutines, she stopped herself. Instead, she said “I would never gossip about your secrets.”

 

“Good,” said Shepard, and EDI realized that she had just passed the test. “As you were, EDI.”

* * *

 

“After reflecting on our earlier conversation, I realize that I owe you an apology. By attempting to explain myself in terms of quantifiable factors, I failed to demonstrate respect for you. This behavior will not be repeated in the future, and I hope that we can continue to work together.”

 

Garrus waved her away. “Don’t mention it, EDI. I’m a big boy, it takes more than that to get to me.”

 

Tali nodded. “And I should not have snapped at you. I have been irritable lately, it may be a slight cold.”

 

“You spoke with Shepard, I take it,” said Liara. “Well, thank you. And don’t forget what I was saying about Traynor.”

 

EDI activated her mobile platform and looked through its eyes at the back of Samantha Traynor’s head. Gently she placed a hand on the specialist’s shoulder and jostled her awake. 

* * *

 

“Good morning, Sam.”

 

“Hhhhmmmnnnn.” Samantha rolled over, eyes still closed, and wrapped her arms around EDI’s platform. The AI reached a hand up and stroked her lover’s hair. “How was your night?”

 

“Largely uneventful, although I did have a series of useful conversations about social dynamics with Shepard and others. And... I owe you an apology.”

 

Traynor looked up at EDI’s face, eyes wide. “Why, what happened?”

 

“I monitored your private extranet usage without your consent. That was unacceptable behavior, and I will not do so in the future.”

 

Samantha gave a soft laugh as she relaxed back into the pillow. “EDI, you know I worked on your systems for weeks, right? I knew that you monitor extranet use.” She planted a kiss on EDI’s nose.

 

“Still, would it make you more comfortable if I returned the items I purchased based on that breach of privacy?”

 

“You bought something? What?”

 

“You spent a statistically significant amount of time looking at an advertisement that featured the model Umri Arterev posing on a luxury skycar. I purchased intimatewear resembling hers, and it is to be delivered when we next visit the Citadel. Would you prefer I cancel the order?”

 

Specialist Traynor’s face slowly grew red. “I don’t think we need to do anything quite so drastic.”

 

EDI smiled, and pulled Samantha just a little closer.

**Author's Note:**

> Using your unactivated body to cuddle your girlfriend while you do other work is an A+ use of resources, and Traynor 100% prefers being the little spoon.
> 
> Also, because I can't resist explaining things that are probably not that complicated, the "difference engine" I'm talking about in the title is the whole experience of interacting with other sapient beings, in that it is an engine for becoming someone different.


End file.
